Flavio Sala is an Italian-born classical guitarist whose body of musical work encompasses not only the great masterpieces, but the top popular repertoire as well. He approaches the genres with the same mastery as those composed by Albéniz, Tárrega or Tórroba. The 28 year old guitar player relays on the arrangements of another great musician, Antonello Capuano, whose finesse and beauty has brought Flavio’s music to the attention of great players from various paths of music including progressive rock, flamenco and jazz.

On June 30^th, Flavio gave a concert before an audience that barely breathed at his performance in Caracas where the artist took a chance to promote his two latest recordings: Flavio Sala Plays POP – Metamorphoseon and Flavio Sala en Caracas. The hall, considerably full for this kind of concert, was the setting of the 1^st International Guitar Festival sponsored by Corp Banca BOD, a top banking group.

Sala had debuted in that hall last year and decided to play there again after a successful Russian tour last February and March. His ever growing audience since he became the winner of the Alirio Díaz Award back in 2006 had the opportunity to listen to great music composed by Bach, Castelnuovo-Tedesco, Domenico Modugno, Eric Clapton and Santana, among others.

The virtuoso divided the concert in two haves. The first one focused on the classical repertoire, and the second one with some of the most unforgettable popular songs of the last 50 years. He started with Pesame Dello Amor by Italian master Mario Castelnuovo-Tedesco. The piece effectively set the mood for an audience that was already hypnotized by his playing. Then, he went on with the controversial but undoubtedly beautiful and demanding chaconne by Bach. The rather long composition not only bewitched the audience but stated clear the stature of Flavio’s abilities as an interpreter.

The first half also included some of the greatest pieces of Venezuelan guitar compositions. Rodrigo Riera’s Serenata Ingenua and Melancolía, Antonio Lauro’s Waltz #3 (aka Natalia) and Pedro E. Gutierrez´s Alma Llanera, which is considered Venezuela’s second National Anthem. The Bojano’s born virtuoso who hadn’t spoken much, uttered a few words to point out his love for Venezuelan music by saying “I’m still working on my family tree to find out where my Venezuelan roots are”. The interpreter, who plays a Camillo Perrella guitar, was also awarded for Best Venezuelan Music Performer five years ago.

After a brief break, Flavio returned to the stage to perform a couple of memorable popular Italian songs: Nel Blu Dipinto Di Blu that immortalized the late Domenico Modugno and La Solitudine, a song popularized by singer Laura Pausini. The two Italian pieces were followed by Eric Clapton’s Tears In Heaven, Santana’s Europa and Paul Anka’s My Way. The later one commonly remembered in a version by Frank Sinatra and based on the French song Comme D’habitude. It is important to highlight that part of the success of those interpretations were due to the talents of arranger Antonello Capuano, a Berklee graduate that won the famous Pippo Barzizza Award in 2003. The arranger has been working with Sala since 2009 establishing a very special bond that finds a meeting point at the high respect for music they both have, one as an interpreter and the other one as an arranger for the virtuoso.

The concert continued with Consuelo Velázquez’s Bésame Mucho, one of the most famous boleros ever written. Then came Paraguayan composer Agustín Barrios-Mangoré’s Preludio De La Catedral, a favorite among guitarists.

The last two songs came from Gershwin and Bocelli. Summertime and Con Te Partiró, which can be watched here in the video section. Both compositions prompted the audience out of their seats to render a standing ovation to the young maestro.

Flavio Sala has demonstrated to be a great guitar player and a musician. His uncanny abilities to play such ample repertoire are the best credentials to establish himself among the greatest players of our times. Flavio is regarded by Alirio Díaz (once the assistant to Andrés Segovia, the greatest classical guitarist ever) as “the new Paganini of the guitar”, an epithet that clearly states the international status of this guitarist who ironically hasn’t been appreciated yet in his native Italy due in part to the current trend of mediocre radio programmers, producers and art directors. In time, he’ll be playing at the most important venues across his country and throughout the world.